Various seal arrangements have been provided for the groove which extends diametrically across the front of a blowout preventer ram body. One of such arrangements is demonstrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,441 issued to applicant herein. As illustrated in such patent, the sealing arrangement includes an elastomer body which is metal reinforced, the metal being in the form of at least a pair of spaced plates which are intended to assist in positioning and retaining the seal arrangement in position in the groove that extends diametrically across the front of the blowout preventer ram body. Blowout preventer rams, and other seal arrangements in various type oil tools are employed in environments which tend to cause deterioation of the elastomer body. Also, the elastomer may become hard due to exposure to elements in the well fluid which come in contact with the seal arrangement.
Due to deterioation of the elastomer over a period of time, it is not uncommon for the elastomer body to lose its bond with the metal reinforcing plates and to either fall out or deterioate to such an extent that it falls out in response to pressure drop or other conditions that may occur in the well bore.
When this occurs, the rigid reinforcing plates may become lost in the well. Loss of the plates in the well may foul other devices in the well such as chokes, and cause other problems.
Also, during the molding of the elastomer with the metal plates, it first expands and then the rubber may shrink as it cures so that it tends to pull back away from the rigid reinforcing leaving less than a desirable product.